Mantis shrimps, also known as stomatopods, are marine crustaceans that belong to the fascinating biological family Odontodactylidae. With their vibrant colors powerful claws and incredible visual capabilities, mantis shrimps continue to captivate scientists and nature enthusiasts alike. In this article, we’ll explore the unique traits of the Odontodactylidae family and why they are one of the most extraordinary creatures in the animal kingdom.
A Quick Overview of Mantis Shrimp Taxonomy
Before diving into the specifics of the Odontodactylidae family, let’s do a quick review of the taxonomy and scientific classification of mantis shrimps:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda – As marine crustaceans, mantis shrimps belong to the phylum Arthropoda along with insects, spiders, and other animals with exoskeletons.
- Subphylum: Crustacea – This large subphylum encompasses crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles.
- Class: Malacostraca – Malacostracans have 19 body segments and include crabs, lobsters, and shrimp.
- Order: Stomatopoda – The unique order containing around 500 species of mantis shrimp.
- Family: Odontodactylidae – The family we will focus on in this article, containing around 196 species.
Now let’s explore some of the key traits that characterize the Odontodactylidae family and make them unlike any other creature in the ocean.
The Signature Appendages of Odontodactylids
The most conspicuous feature of mantis shrimps are their large, powerful front appendages shaped like folded arms. These appendages, called raptorial claws or raptors, are used to capture prey with lightning speed and immense power.
While all mantis shrimp possess raptorial claws, the claws of Odontodactylids are uniquely specialized for smashing and crushing. They have a short, sturdy base segment and a hammer-like club that delivers devastating blows. Odontodactylid claws can accelerate underwater faster than a .22 caliber bullet and deliver impacts with over 1,500 Newtons of force.
These mighty appendages enable Odontodactylids to crush the hard shells of snails, clams and crabs with ease, earning them common names like “thumb splitters.” The smashing claws are so powerful that aquarists must use thick acrylic instead of glass for mantis shrimp tanks.
Deadly Strikes and Biological Springs
To deliver their explosive punches, Odontodactylids rely on an ingenious biological spring mechanism inside their raptorial claws Basically, they have a cocked spring that releases when the shrimp strikes, amplifying the force exponentially
The spring mechanism relies on a saddle-shaped structure within the claw made of mineralized calcium and protein. As the shrimp’s muscle contracts, the saddle gets compressed and stored energy builds up like a tense spring. When the claw is released, all that energy is unleashed at once, extending the claw at speeds up to 23 meters per second!
Scientists are now studying this biological spring design to engineer new materials and robots with similar properties. The smashers of the Odontodactylid family continue to showcase nature’s ingenuity.
Deadly Spears and Biological Swords
While smashers specialize in crushing force, other variations within the Odontodactylid family opt for slashing attacks. Spearers have elongated claws with spiny tips designed to impale soft-bodied prey. The spears operate like biological swords that can slice prey in half.
The microanatomy of the short and sturdy smasher claws versus the longer spearer claws demonstrates how form matches function in the evolution of these appendages. Their unique shapes have been honed by natural selection to match their specialized hunting strategies.
The Fastest Strike in the Animal Kingdom
The extreme velocities generated by Odontodactylid raptorial strikes make them the fastest appendage strike on Earth. In fact, no other animal movement has been recorded as faster than a mantis shrimp punch.
Recent studies using ultra high-speed cameras revealed peak speeds of 10,400 mm/s, or 105 km/h, for a mantis punch – even faster than a bullet! The accelerations clock in around 10^5 g, with g-forces so intense they cause cavitation bubbles in the water.
By analyzing the kinematics in slow motion, scientists continue uncovering the secrets behind how Odontodactylids generate such explosive speeds and accelerations with their specialized appendages. These lightning-fast strikes are likely how they earned the name “mantis” shrimp.
Vicious Visual Systems
In addition to their deadly raptors, Odontodactylid mantis shrimp have evolved some of the most elaborate visual systems in the animal kingdom. They have up to 16 types of photoreceptor cells (humans have just 3), allowing them to see wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to infrared.
Some Odontodactylids have even evolved a unique structure called an aminal spot that allows them to filter circularly polarized light. It functions almost like a biological polarization camera!
Researchers believe this highly sophisticated vision enables mantis shrimp to perceive depth, contrast, and texture to an extent unparalleled in nature. Their eyes move independently on mobile stalks, giving them detailed binocular vision as well.
The incredible vision of Odontodactylids allows them to precisely track and hit elusive, fast-moving prey. It also helps them navigate and communicate via polarized light patterns.
- Powerful raptorial claws specialized for smashing or spearing
- A biological spring mechanism that enables explosive, lightning-fast strikes
- The fastest appendage strike known on Earth
- Highly complex visual systems with up to 16 photoreceptor types
These and many more remarkable traits make the Odontodactylids one of the most fascinating and formidable hunter families in the ocean. As research continues, mantis shrimps will undoubtedly continue to reveal exciting new insights about the capabilities of nature. One thing is for certain – they are marine animals you would never want to cross!
What are mantis shrimp?
Despite their name, mantis shrimp are not true shrimp but a type of stomatopod: a relative of crabs and lobsters that has been on Earth for over 400 million years. There are more than 400 different species of mantis shrimp.
Peacock mantis shrimp—also called harlequin or painted mantis shrimp—are arguably the best-known of the family. The name of these bugs comes from their kaleidoscope shell, which looks like a peacock’s tail, and their hinged forearms, which look like a praying mantis’ and are hidden until they’re ready to attack. These wild, aggressive animals are known for having a punch that is as fast as a bullet and strong enough to break a crab’s claw.
Mantis shrimp live in warm, shallow waters in the Indian and Pacific oceans. They use their front arm, which looks like a raptor’s, to dig holes in the seafloor around a coral reef to make a home. When they move on, other marine animals may take up residence in the abandoned burrow.
Peacock mantis shrimp have red legs and rainbow shells that are usually blue, green, and yellow. They grow to be about the length of a butter knife. Their purple eyes are on top of stalks above their heads, and they can move apart to get a better look.
Not all mantis shrimp boast these spectacular colors. Zebra mantis shrimp—the largest of all the species—are named for their cream and brown stripes, while Red Sea mantis shrimp are beige with thin red stripes and a dark rear end.
But all these animals are best known for their mighty front claws—responsible for their impressive hunting skills.
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Mantis shrimp are small but impressive predators that can kill prey bigger than themselves. Depending on the species, mantis shrimp use one of two hunting strategies: “Spearer” species lay in wait then skewer unsuspecting fish by using a large spike at the end of their arms. Meanwhile “smashers” like the peacock mantis shrimp use their hammer-like claws to attack their hard-shelled prey—such as crabs and clams—with a powerful punch.
How does that punch work? The shrimp’s clubbed arm is held in place by a latch when it’s not in use, so energy can build up. A saddle-shaped spring within the arm helps store even more energy. When the animal lets go of the latch, the spring moves the claw forward 50 times faster than we can blink so that it can hit its prey. At 75 feet per second, it is one of the fastest limb movements of any animal.
The strike is so fast—the speed of a .22 caliber bullet—that it causes bubbles to form and collapse in the water. This energy release creates an impressive force thousands of times the shrimp’s bodyweight that combines with the initial strike to smash open the shell of a mantis shrimp’s prey, killing the animal inside.
Remarkably, mantis shrimp are unharmed by the blow thanks to complex layers within the club which absorb the impact and prevent the claw from cracking. This innovative design has inspired the development of materials for armor, sports helmets, and vehicles.
Mantis shrimp use the same technique to defend themselves from predators. However, they only use this energy-intensive method of self-defense if they must. When under threat, they perform a behavioral display known as a meral spread before resorting to violence: standing on their hind legs, puffing up their chest, and spreading their arms to look as large and intimidating as possible. If the predator isn’t put off by this display, the shrimp will attack.
These crustaceans have among the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. Their eyes can work alone or together, so they can see far away and focus on their prey at the same time. Each eye has three focal points, allowing the animal to perceive depth with either eye.
Human eyes have three photoreceptors—cells that detect color—to distinguish between blue, green, and red light. With a staggering 12 photoreceptors, mantis shrimp can see 12 different wavelengths of light. It’s not clear what these photoreceptors are for, though, because they can’t tell subtle color differences as well as humans can.
Mantis shrimp are the only animals that can see circularly polarized light, which moves in a spiral. Humans can only see UV light and polarized light, which is made up of waves. According to researchers, this might let them talk to each other by showing patterns on their shells that only other mantis shrimp can see. This might help them attract a mate or indicate that their burrow is already occupied.
Mantis shrimp leave the safety of their burrow and zigzag across the sand until they find a mate. The female will store the male’s sperm until she is ready to spawn.
After laying her eggs, the female glues them together with a sticky substance secreted from a cement gland on her abdomen, gathers them up, and carries them into her burrow to look after them until they hatch. The young larvae can deliver the species’ famed punch after around nine days.
While not all species are monogamous, zebra mantis shrimp can live together in their burrow for life. But, with the male responsible for all the hunting, the female could starve to death if he is killed while out looking for food, or if he abandons her for a larger female who can produce more eggs.
Mantis shrimp are likely to be affected by rising sea levels, acidification of the ocean, habitat loss, and pollution, just like other reef species. They are preyed on by large fish, cuttlefish, squid, and octopus.
Peacock mantis shrimp are popular among aquarium enthusiasts but can be difficult to keep in captivity because they often eat other species and can break glass tanks with their claws.
People can eat mantis shrimp—in some Asian countries, they are considered a treat—but they don’t do it very often because they fight so hard.
What does the mantis shrimp see?
FAQ
What family is the mantis shrimp from?
What animals are related to the mantis shrimp?
What class is the mantis shrimp in?
Is a mantis shrimp an arachnid?
What class is mantis shrimp?
Mantis shrimp belong to the order Stomatopoda, with all living species in the suborder Unipeltata. The order Stomatopoda is the only order in the subclass Hoplocarida, which belongs to the much larger class Malacostraca. Malacostraca is the largest of the six classes of crustaceans, containing about 40,000 living species.
How big is a mantis shrimp?
The mantis shrimp are a widely distributed group consisting of more than 350 species; they vary in size from 1 to 30 centimetres (0.4 to 12 inches). They occur in coastal waters but are sometimes found as deep as 1,300 metres (about 4,300 feet). Many species live in burrows. Both adults and larvae are excellent swimmers.
Are mantis shrimp stomatopods?
Mantis Shrimp, scientifically known as stomatopods, belong to the Class Malacostraca and Order Stomatopoda, which comprises around 500 species. Most species live in the warm waters in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They use their sharp claws–as big as a praying mantis–to capture them by striking at bullet-like speeds.
How many species of mantis shrimp are there?
About 520 species of mantis shrimp have been discovered worldwide; all living species are in the suborder Unipeltata, which arose around 250 million years ago. These aggressive and typically solitary sea creatures spend most of their time hiding in rock formations or burrowing intricate passageways in the sea bed.